11/27/2010

I am glad I am a great fan of tomatoes, Tofu and tuna... The first two foods are commonly found in Yong Tau Foo which is almost a staple for me... Maybe that is why I have managed to look youthful despite having put myself through high workload throughout my life... The other princliple we do have to practise is to have lots of beauty sleep. My mother can swear by that as she looks 20 years younger than her age right now as she has a strict bedtime at 9pm for years... Anyway, do enjoy reading the article below and try to apply it in your life:)

Strawberries:Eating more vitamin C-rich foods, such as strawberries, may help to ward off wrinkles and age-related dryness, suggests research from 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin C’s skin-smoothing effects may be due to its ability to mop up free radicals produced from ultraviolet rays and also its role in collagen synthesis. (Vitamin C is essential for collagen production.) You can find vitamin C in a multitude of cosmetics—of which some have been shown to be effective in protecting skin—but why not go straight to the source for a tasty boost of C: red bell peppers, papaya, broccoli and oranges are other excellent sources.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes get their red hue from lycopene, a carotenoid that may help to keep your skin smooth. In a study published in 2008 in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, researchers found that of the 20 individuals studied, those who had higher skin concentrations of lycopene had smoother skin. Boost your lycopene intake with fresh summer produce like watermelon and carrots too.

Tofu: Tofu and other soyfoods, such as edamame and soymilk, may help to preserve skin-firming collagen because they are rich in isoflavones. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, mice fed isoflavones and exposed to ultraviolet radiation had fewer wrinkles and smoother skin than mice that were exposed to UV light but didn’t get isoflavones. The researchers believe that isoflavones help prevent collagen breakdown.

Tuna: Eating tuna—and other omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon, sardines and trout—may help keep your skin looking youthful thanks to the omega-3 fat EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). EPA has been shown to preserve collagen.

11/26/2010

We should strive and try all ways to be innovative as this will help differentiate us from others. The creativity that we show will enable us to stand out from the crowd and shine. I am not saying we have to throw away old traditions but whatever that works for us from the old ways of thinking, we should absorb but whichever that is not beneficial and which will stand in the way of innovation, we should put it aside and not give it too much attention.

The world is changing and becoming more globalised. If we hang onto old ways of doing things, it will cause us to regress and not improve at all. We should be sharp and vigilant to do the 'right thing'. We have to open our minds up to receive new information and knowledge so we can stay connected with the rest of the world. In this way, one will be empowered to gain the competitive edge in any endeavour he embarks on and be able to gain success!:)

11/24/2010

Many innocent lives were lost on Monday due to a stampede event near the Diamond Island. There were about 400 people killed and another 350 injured according to the reports. It was all because of over-crowding on a bridge and lack of proper policing provided by the Cambodian authorities. There were rumours that boys who were trying to tease some girls shouted that the bridge was going to fall and that caused the widespread fear and chaos. If the police had controlled the number of people going onto the bridge, many lives could have been saved...Relatives that came to identify the bodies were distraught at seeing their loved ones dead... Nothing could bring the dead back to life... Let's hope that such a tragedy will not repeat in future and that the ruling authorities could learn from their mistakes....

11/20/2010

I was doing some kind of self-reflection on my life to see if my life has been lived in a worthwhile way... Now I am approaching my mid 30s and I am not sure how many more years I have to live. For some, death can come unexpectedly and suddenly ( while I am writing this, I remembered my cousin dying in his teens when he was an active kid, having many friends and having a bright future ahead of him but when death knocked on the door, it took him only one year to leave this earth); for others, death can be a chronic struggle for years and years.

I have been always a very hardworking person, expecting myself to perform beyond the norms and not be limited by external circumstances. I believe in hardwork somehow having some magic of its own to bring about fruits. I always tell myself not to give up even in the face of difficult circumstances or failure and to rise above the circumstances. This kind of ideology has helped me being an overachiever pushing myself beyond my limits as well as picking myself up and running the race once more when I fail . I had done well in my academic studies, having gotten excellent results in my Cambridge GCE "O" and "A" level exams and obtained a full Public Service Commission scholarship from my government to read my degree in the United Kingdom. After a few years of service in the biggest psychiatric hospital in my country, I got another full sponsorship from my employer to study postgraduate studies. It had been many good years spent in in the healthcare industry serving the needy and elderly and improving their lives.

Now I have a lovely daughter who has inherited some of my genes and also a hard driver and have loads of conscientiousness. She is bilingual ( and on her way to pick a third language) and behaving fairly mature for her age. I can say I have spent my meaningfully and purposefully for my family and society and have not wasted any single minute of it procrastinating or self-doubting. I wish for more years of good health and a sharp mind so I can continue to be a productive member of my society improving lives of people and bringing a sense of purpose and hope to them.:)